“Dada, Ekhane ekta Moghlai Porotha’r restaurant chilo? Aar dekte paarchina?" (Translated: Hey, there used to be a Mughlai Paratha restaurant right here. Can’t see it anymore?). I remember asking this to the market guys, at the corner of the busy Gariahat market in Calcutta. Oh, its Kolkata now! This is just one of the instances when I wanted to go back in time, to when the sights and smells were familiar and comforting.
One of the things about growing up is that the very places you travelled to as a kid, is no more the same. The places from your memories just seem to have vanished, be it the eating house where your family would’ve had a memorable meal, to the hotel whose corridors had heard your laughter, to those markets where your mom may have struck the best bargain. As an adult, when I now travel to these popular touristy destinations, that I had once visited as a kid, it takes me a lot of getting used to, as they have changed, and how.
Kolkata:
As a kid, my fondest memories were of the biennial journey across the country from Gujarat to Kolkata (my nanihaal). The first instance of change is in the very mode of transport. Then it was a 36-hour train journey, through the heart of India, watching in awe, as the landscape changed out the window. And then the journey itself, with the stations in between, and all the memories each station brought in. All that is gone, with a two- and half-hour flight, cutting down the time, and the experiences with it. Stepping out of the airport terminal, is not the same as stepping out of Howrah Station, to see the massive cantilever bridge (Kolkata’s iconography) over the flowing river, boarding the yellow Ambassador taxi and racing in the early morning hours to South Calcutta. And the remnants of the Raj, the buildings and parks silently welcoming us back, each time. Who now has time to spend a whole day visiting the Indian Museum, or getting a peek into the universe at the Birla Planetarium? Visits to the Gariahat market, interspersed with the odd kathi roll, roadside tea, and sweets were so much more enriching, than walking into South City Mall. A drive down the EM Bypass then filled the lungs with fresh air, and the eyes with greens and blues, unlike the dust and concrete buildings today.
New Delhi:
The Delhi, I visited as a kid, had Connaught Place at the epicentre of most of the action. Be it the best eateries, or the shopping at Palika Bazaar, or just roaming under the white arched walkways that are a signature of this place. And then there was every child’s dream destination, Appu Ghar, at one end of the Pragati Maidan, coupled with a visit to the Purana Qila or the International’s Dolls Museum. Hauz Khas, then wasn’t the fancy hangout hotspot that it is today, and Gurgaon was just coming up around the highway. Parathewali Galli still retained its old charm and Chittranjan Park still felt like a Calcutta of the 80s. A visit to Qutub Minar, needed some planning, since Mehrauli was ‘far away’ unlike the sprawling neighbourhood that it is today. The best nostalgic journey that I have had of Delhi, as a visitor, is through Khuswant Singh’s book titled “Delhi”.
Mumbai:
My earliest memories of Mumbai, the first time I visited as a 7/8-year-old, was climbing the Boot House in Hanging Gardens, over Malabar Hills, and then having the paav bhaji at Chowpatty, followed by a visit to the Taraporewala Aquarium. After that a visit to the Gateway of India, on the top deck of a double decker bus, seemed straight out of a fantasy. Today’s visitors to the megacity, first head to the flashy malls, hotels and pubs across town. Selfie points outside the CSMT Station and Gateway of India, are more popular than standing across the road and appreciating the Gothic architecture. Back, when I had visited the metropolis for the first time, it was still Bombay. The kaali peelis were still Premier Padmini cars, vs. the Ubers of today. It was the city of a million dreams, before the millennials may a beeline for Bangalore and Gurgaon. And offering prayers at Siddhi Vinayak temple only meant standing in a long queue, and not the kind of frisking and crowd management arrangements of today. One visited Bandra for Mount Mary church and the quaint neighbourhood, and not just to stand outside ‘Mannat’. South Bombay, or Town, as its popularly called was where all the party goers headed to on a Friday evening, unlike now when barring a few select places, all the action is northward of Lower Parel.
And then a little sojourn to the hills.
Nainital:
It was in the December of 2019 that I went for a birding trip to Pangot. This village being just 20kms away from Nainital, I’d decided to spend atleast a day by the eye shaped lake, reminiscing my childhood memories. But this Nainital, was nothing that I could remember of. Quaint streets, had given way to roads jostling with vehicles and teeming with tourists. Access to the Naini Devi temple was through a Tibetan market. A quiet boat ride was replaced with a super crowded lake bank and impatient visitors. Little doubt that for travellers who really want to soak in the Kumaon vibes, they head out to the other options of Bhimtal, Naukuchiatal or further away to Mukteshwar.
Like they say, travel is all about creating memories. And when you happen to visit the same city, as an adult, the one in which you have memories as a kid, the difference between the past and present is even more stark.
Ready to travel for free? Earn credits and redeem them on Tripoto’s weekend getaways, hotel stays and vacation packages!
Think we missed out on something? Tell us about it in the comments below. Or write about it here on Tripoto and earn Tripoto Credits!
' fill='%23359391'%3e %3cpath d='M46.1538462%2c43.5714286 L41.5%2c50 L36.8461538%2c43.5714286 L36.8670256%2c43.5714286 C36.3173077%2c42.7142857 36%2c41.6851429 36%2c40.5714286 C36%2c37.4854286 38.4535641%2c35 41.5%2c35 C44.5464359%2c35 47%2c37.4854286 47%2c40.5714286 C47%2c41.6851429 46.6826923%2c42.7142857 46.1329744%2c43.5714286 L46.1538462%2c43.5714286 Z M41.4294872%2c39 C40.6150641%2c39 39.9487179%2c39.675 39.9487179%2c40.5 C39.9487179%2c41.325 40.6150641%2c42 41.4294872%2c42 C42.2439103%2c42 42.9102564%2c41.325 42.9102564%2c40.5 C42.9102564%2c39.675 42.2439103%2c39 41.4294872%2c39 L41.4294872%2c39 Z' id='Location-white'%3e%3c/path%3e %3c/g%3e %3c/svg%3e)
